MITCHELL COUNTY HOSPITAL HEALTH SYSTEMS BOARD MEETING JUNE 23RD

The Mitchell County Hospital Health Systems Board of Trustees held their monthly meeting last night and discussed progress on the EHR Project, heard a report from the Foundation, and listened to the first administrative report from the new hospital administrator.

The hospital's EHR Program was reported to be 99% finished and going live soon. It is slated to be available to inpatients on July 1 and informational materials for this new electronic system will be available to patients as they check in. Employees will be trained this week on the new system and the hospital will take on the responsibility of enrolling new inpatients as long as they share their email address upon check-in. Outpatients will need to enroll themselves in the new system, but they will also be given information on the system and how to sign up. For patient protection, the website used for the new patient portal is encrypted and certain health markers and personal health information will be kept confidential. A link to the patient portal will be posted on the hospital's website once it is up and running.

The Foundation reported on progress made at the Perdue House and renovations that have been completed or are in the works since the Board's last meeting. Windows have all been replaced, except for a bay window, and that is one of the current projects. All drywall is complete, the upstairs bathrooms are plumbed, painted, and tiled, and the kitchen renovations continue with new cabinetry coming in this week. The next steps in the process are to install wallpaper and paint upstairs along with laying carpet and a committee has been formed to develop policies and procedures for the House.

Along with the report on the Perdue House, the Foundation named winners of the 2014 Melvin File Scholarship and the NCK Tech Continuing Nursing Scholarship. The winners of the Melvin File Scholarship were Tori Farwell, Maci Hancock, Bethany Pingel, Corey True, and Payton Vetter. The NCK Tech Continuing Nursing Scholarship was awarded to Lindsey Hewitt. The scholarship committee is still working through the year to develop more scholarships for non-traditional students and for hospital employees and have more connections with current scholarship recipients with more shadowing.

Finally, the Foundation reported that the KDHE event went well, they had many good opportunities to speak with state-level officials, and learned that Mitchell County may have future possibilities for grant opportunities.

The new Hospital Administrator Jeremy Armstrong gave is first administrative report in which he used his time to thank everyone for the warm welcome he has had, not only to the hospital, but to Beloit as well. He said he hopes to be helpful to the patients that come to the hospital and to the employees who work there. He also hopes to learn a lot from the people around him and meet more people from around the community. Mr. Armstrong said he also wants to be careful not to move to quickly in how he approaches his role in the hospital, but has heard good feedback and ideas from hospital and clinic staff.

The Board signed recognized years of service for Bonnie Houghton in Environmental Services for 5 years, Kayla Tonne in Special Care Unit for 5 years, Judy Gibson in Acute for 10 years, and Carol Krier in the Residental Care Center for 10 Years. The Board closed their meeting with an executive session to discuss non-elected personnel.